Bananas. Containing three natural sugars - sucrose,
fructose and glucose combined with fiber, a banana
gives an instant,
sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proven that just two bananas provide
enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No
wonder the banana
is the number one fruit with the world's leading
athletes.

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us
keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a
substantial number of
illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to
our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken
by MIND amongst people suffering from depression,
many felt much better
after eating a banana. This is because bananas
contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body
converts into serotonin, known to make you relax,
improve your mood and generally make you feel
happier. PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana.
The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose
levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the
production of haemoglobin in the blood and so helps
in cases of anemia. Blood Pressure: This unique
tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low
in salt, making it the perfect to beat blood
pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug
Administration has
just allowed the banana industry to make official
claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of
blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham
(Middlesex) school were helped through their exams
this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and
lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research
has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist
learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the
diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to
overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a
hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened
with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with
the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar
levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your
system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in
the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try
eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals
helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning
sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite
cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside
of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly
successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm
the nervous system.

Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of
Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to
gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps.
Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found
the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure
jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid
panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our
blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate
foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food
against Intestinal disorders because of its soft
texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that
can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler
cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces
irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas
as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical
and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In
Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to
ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help
SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood
enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking: Bananas can also help people trying to give
up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the
potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body
recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps
normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain
and regulates your body's water balance. When we are
stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing
our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with
the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in "The New England
Journal of Medicine, "eating bananas as part of a
regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by
as much as 40%!

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that
if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of
banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow
side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a
plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills
When you compare it to an apple, it has four times
the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the
phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and
twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also
rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods
around.

So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so
that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor
away!"

bananas are a good thing

B-A-N-A-N-A-S

(sorry, couldn't resist)

BananaCologne said:

Oh I love the fruit bananna.

Somehow however, I thought this thread would be about the .Org memebers. They seem like a bunch of purple banannas, and I am renting a truck.

Mach said:

I have a banana in my pocket.

MickG said:

TMPletz said:

I bananas, I eat like 4 of them every day.

psychodelicide said:

BananaCologne said:

You should make that pic your avatar (although the avatars are not working again).

psychodelicide said:

I'm presuming you ain't seen some of the ones I've had previously then!

BananaCologne said:

Actually, I have. Come to think of it. didn't you once have an avatar that was similar to the pic above?

psychodelicide said:

yeah, but about 100 x gayer

BananaCologne said:

Nice ! I will eat one right now and will make them part of my diet again. I stopped eating them because of the high sugar content and was worried about my bllod sugar but reading this info changed my mind.I´ll add this thread to my Health and Fitness folder.
Thanks.

TMPletz said:

Oh THANK GOD! I was worried you were just happy to see me!

psychodelicide said:

bananaholic

Mach said:

maybe she just likes getting in pratice.

MickG said:

MickG said:

co- In practice for what? If you're insinuating what I think you are, I'm not that kind of person.

JediMaster said: